Curve Bats Cooled in Series Opener at Somerset

Po-Yu Chen tossed six scoreless innings on Friday night

By Jon Mozes

July 19, 2024

SOMERSET, NJ – Po-Yu Chen turned in his team-leading sixth quality start of the season, but Altoona dropped their series opener at Somerset, 2-0, on Friday night at TD Bank Ballpark. Chen held the Patriots without a hit into the fourth inning before allowing back-to-back singles with one out but

SOMERSET, NJ – Po-Yu Chen turned in his team-leading sixth quality start of the season, but Altoona dropped their series opener at Somerset, 2-0, on Friday night at TD Bank Ballpark.

Chen held the Patriots without a hit into the fourth inning before allowing back-to-back singles with one out but bounced back with a pair of strikeouts to finish the frame. Chen struck out six and allowed just four hits and a pair of walks in his outing. He struck out six and needed just 75 pitches to get through his evening.

Somerset starter Trystan Vrieling held the Curve bats quiet through six innings, walking three batters through 5.2 innings until Charles McAdoo picked up the team’s first hit of the game with a rocket single past the shortstop. Altoona stranded two men aboard in the sixth inning, their best chance for offense in the early going.

Somerset earned the game’s only runs in the eighth inning off Jaden Woods. After setting down the side on just seven pitches in the seventh, Woods allowed a pair of squib base hits with one out in the eighth. After a strikeout of Tyler Hardman for the second out of the inning, Somerset’s Rafael Flores punched a base hit to left field to plate the game’s first run. Elijah Dunham followed with a single of his own to right field to make it a 2-0 deficit for the Curve.

Altoona was retired in order in the ninth inning by Somerset closer Eric Reyzelman. The Curve earned five walks and just one hit in the series opener.

Altoona continues their series at Somerset on Saturday night. RHP Thomas Harrington is slated to start for the Curve with RHP Bailey Dees on the bump for the Patriots, first pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. The Curve return to Peoples Natural Gas Field on Tuesday, July 31 against the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

For tickets and more information on the 2024 Altoona Curve Season, presented by Stuckey Automotive, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office. Additionally, the Stockyard Team Store is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during every home game and online 24/7/365.